The LED-lined Artikcar bicycle

In case you were of the opinion that getting around in a recumbent bicycle was not conspicuous enough, Manchester-based industrial designer Ben Wilson has created the neon-adorned, toy-car inspired Artikcar.

The most striking feature of the pedal-powered vehicle is its cartoon-car silhouette, constructed from a reel of 24-volt LEDs to give the appearance of neon lights. "I found a toy car at a car boot sale, and I was struck by this iconographic image of a car," Wilson explains. "I realised that fusing its childlike shape with a pedal-powered vehicle would convey a strong message of safety, highlight the vulnerability of cyclists on the roads, and encourage the use of human power in transport."

The pedal-powered vehicle turns without the aid of a steering wheel, with the driver steering by leaning into corners, a design concept borrowed from Wilson's earlier work. "I first designed a bike like this while working with differently abled children at the Royal College of Art," he recalled. "The articulating (hence the name) design of the vehicle enabled these kids to ride a bike where they couldn't before, celebrating their abilities and the capacity of technology to adapt to different needs."

Ben Wilson was one of three artists to be awarded commissioning money to create a mobile work of art for this evening's Illuminated Art Car Parade in Manchester, with the "mechanical mischief" also complementing Edinburgh's November 28 Christmas celebrations.